Weaponized drones

Drone manufacturers may offer police remote controlled drones with weapons like rubber bullets, Tasers, and tear gas. Congress has required the Federal Aviation Administration to loosen their regulations on drones and allow more drones in domestic airspace by 2015. As the Department of Homeland Security makes more funds available over the next few years, we will likely see increasing numbers of state and local police departments acquiring unmanned aerial vehicles. In addition to concerns about the lack of sufficient rules protecting people from privacy violations, the potential for armed drones presents serious concerns regarding the excessive use of force by police officers in conducting law enforcement activities like searches and arrests.